| Jazz |
In the Wonder of the Night reminds us that two musicians, a voice and a piano, are all that is needed to create an intimate, elegant, and deeply moving musical experience. In this beautifully crafted recording, vocalist Angela Verbrugge and pianist Ray Gallon invite us into a world illuminated by moonlight, romance, reflection, and timeless swing.
In the Wonder of the Night is Angela Verbrugge’s fourth album, and it confirms what listeners have been discovering over the past few years: she is one of the most engaging and alluring jazz singers of the century. Her journey to this point has been anything but conventional. After years devoted to family life and overcoming one of life’s greatest personal challenges, a battle with cancer, she chose to return wholeheartedly to the music that had always been her first passion. That experience seems to have given her singing an added depth and sincerity. There is no trace of excess or artifice in her performances; instead, every lyric feels genuinely lived, every phrase carefully considered.
Verbrugge’s musical background is remarkably broad. Trained from an early age in classical piano, music theory, and trombone, she approaches jazz not simply as a singer but as a complete musician. She writes lyrics, develops arrangements, and thinks like an instrumentalist, listening as attentively as she performs. This musical awareness is evident throughout the album, where her voice blends naturally with the piano rather than merely floating above it.
An important turning point in her artistic development came through her studies with the legendary vocalist Sheila Jordan, whose encouragement opened the door to collaborations with pianist Ray Gallon and bassist Cameron Brown. That meeting resulted in Verbrugge’s highly acclaimed debut album, The Night We Couldn’t Say Good Night (2019), followed by Love for Connoisseurs (2022), which revealed her growing confidence as a songwriter, and Somewhere (2024), a recording admired for its elegance and emotional restraint. In the Wonder of the Night feels like the natural culmination of that artistic evolution.
Sharing the spotlight is the exceptional Ray Gallon, one of the most respected jazz pianists. Deeply rooted in the traditions of bebop and the blues, Gallon possesses that increasingly rare ability to accompany a singer while remaining a fully creative partner. His playing is rich in harmonic invention, subtle rhythmic displacement, and melodic imagination. He listens constantly, anticipating Verbrugge’s phrasing, gently reshaping the harmony beneath her voice, and finding fresh colours within familiar songs. Never intrusive, never routine, his accompaniment exemplifies the highest art of collaborative piano playing.
Together, Verbrugge and Gallon achieve something that many larger ensembles struggle to attain: absolute musical trust. Every pause, every dynamic nuance, every tempo fluctuation feels completely natural. Rather than alternating between soloist and accompanist, they engage in a genuine conversation where each voice enriches the other.
The album unfolds like a nocturnal journey. Moonlight, dreams, evening reflections, and quiet romance provide the emotional thread that links together seven jazz standards and five original compositions by Verbrugge herself. The result is a programme that feels remarkably coherent despite the diversity of its repertoire.
The opening S’posin’ immediately establishes the album’s relaxed elegance. Its gently swinging rhythm sets an inviting tone while allowing the duo’s effortless communication to shine from the very first bars.
One of the album’s great pleasures lies in Verbrugge’s original compositions, which sit so naturally beside the classics that one almost forgets which songs are newly written.
Paradise Defined’s reflective atmosphere perfectly matches the album’s intimate mood. Delicate without becoming sentimental, it reveals Verbrugge’s gift for writing melodies that feel instantly familiar. The charming I’m 99% Sure of You, co-written with vocalist Caity Gyorgy, brings wit and lightness to the programme. Its playful lyric demonstrates Verbrugge’s ability to combine humour with sophisticated songwriting, recalling the golden age of jazz vocal repertoire while remaining unmistakably contemporary.
Equally delightful is I’m a Cliché, a Verbrugge’s song that gently pokes fun at romantic uncertainty with intelligence and self-awareness. Rather than indulging in melodrama, Angela embraces vulnerability with warmth and quiet irony. The Gift (Recado Bossa) receives an elegant, understated interpretation that perfectly suits the duo format. Gallon’s harmonic sensitivity allows every subtle rhythmic inflection to breathe naturally.
On a Night Such as This deepens the album’s nocturnal atmosphere, while the beautifully conceived pairing of Moonlight Becomes You/ In the Wonder of the Night forms one of the emotional high points of the album. Here, the dialogue between voice and piano reaches a level of remarkable intimacy, creating a suspended moment of quiet beauty.
Irving Berlin’s Reaching for the Moon is another welcome discovery. Verbrugge approaches this less frequently performed standard with affection and freshness, allowing its timeless melody to speak for itself. Cole Porter’s sparkling It’s De-Lovely provides a welcome burst of energy midway through the programme. Without sacrificing elegance, the duo captures the song’s infectious optimism and rhythmic vitality. Another Porter gem, Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye, receives a wonderfully affectionate reading. Rather than radically reinterpreting the song, Verbrugge and Gallon simply illuminate its understated charm through tasteful phrasing and refined musicianship.
The album closes with Moonlight in Vermont, one of the most beautiful songs ever written about the quiet magic of night. It is a fitting conclusion to an album that consistently favours subtle emotion over dramatic effect. Verbrugge sings it with luminous simplicity, while Gallon’s piano gently guides the melody toward a serene and deeply satisfying ending.
Throughout the recording, Angela Verbrugge demonstrates an artistic quality that is becoming increasingly rare. She never feels the need to overwhelm the listener through vocal display. Instead, she trusts the song, respects the lyrics, and allows emotion to emerge through clarity, warmth, and impeccable phrasing. Her diction is crystal-clear, her sense of swing entirely natural, and her timing impeccable. Like the finest jazz vocalists of the swing and cool-school traditions, she understands that sometimes what is left unsung is just as expressive as what is heard.
There is also an undeniable elegance about Angela Verbrugge as an artist. Her stage presence and natural grace complement her musical gifts without ever overshadowing them. Combined with her expressive voice and refined musicianship, they contribute to an artistic personality that is both sophisticated and warmly approachable.
Ray Gallon proves to be the ideal musical companion. His piano never merely accompanies, it converses, encourages, comments, and occasionally gently surprises. Every harmonic choice feels purposeful, every phrase shaped with exquisite taste.
In an age when many recordings seek attention through showing off, musical complexity or technical demonstration, In the Wonder of the Night achieves something far more lasting through simplicity, intelligence, and emotional honesty. It reminds us that the true essence of jazz often lies not in dazzling displays of virtuosity, but in the quiet dialogue between musicians who trust one another completely.
Elegant, intimate, beautifully performed, and filled with timeless charm, In the Wonder of the Night is an album that rewards repeated listening. Angela Verbrugge and Ray Gallon have created an album that glows with the gentle light suggested by its title, a collection of songs that lingers in the heart long after the final notes of Moonlight in Vermont have faded.
A wonderfully accomplished duo recording, and surely one of Angela Verbrugge’s finest artistic achievements to date.
Frankie Pfeiffer
Editor in chief – PARIS-MOVE
PARIS-MOVE, July 5th, 2026
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Musicians:
Angela Verbrugge – vocals
Ray Gallon – piano
Tracklisting:
- ’S’posin’
- Paradise Defined
- I’m 99% Sure of You
- I’m a Cliché
- The Gift (Recado Bossa)
- On a Night Such as This
- Moonlight Becomes You / In the Wonder of the Night
- Reaching for the Moon
- It’s De‑Lovely
- Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye
- Moonlight in Vermont
In the Wonder of the Night Liner Notes by Scott Yanow, jazz journalist (LA Jazz Journal, Downbeat, Syncopated Times), historian and author of “The Jazz Singers”.